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Chronic Health Issues Research Paper

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As a medical student, regardless of the field in which you wish to develop your expertise, the careful consideration of the patient’s overall wellbeing is essential. But one of the most complex and challenging cases you will face is caring for patients with chronic health issues. For many of these patients, they live with debilitating conditions that really impact their quality of life. Some are only in their twenties or thirties with much of their lives ahead of them. Learning how to work with patients with diagnosed chronic health concerns is important as it helps to provide a holistic approach to their treatment.
A chronic illness is defined as a condition that is long-lasting and usually cannot be completely cured. Some examples of chronic illness are heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and kidney disease. Other …show more content…

Actually, depression is one of the most common side effects of chronic illness. Living with a condition that robs you of your ability to enjoy even the simplest things in life is devastating, so it’s not hard to draw a connection between chronic illness and feelings of despair. Limited mobility, loss of independence and the growing burden on loved ones weighs heavily on the minds of many patients. In some cases, the physical effects of the illness, or even the side effects of the medication used can also lead to mental health issues.
Working with patients with chronic healthcare concerns required a happy balance of physical, mental and emotional support. Treating the condition with a holistic approach helps to elevate the human at the centre of the suffering. Management of their illness often requires the committed attention of several specialists, working in tandem to ensure the patient has some semblance of normalcy. Remembering there is a human being amid the pain and suffering of a chronic health issue is paramount, and most humbling as a healthcare

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